Parrots are cool. They are also one hell of a lot of work.

I don’t know how to put it other than what the title states. It isn’t easy and I doubt those with no life experience would do well dealing with it. Ironic, isn’t it?

But those who survive being young, advancing into middle age and on into becoming more, shall we say, “Mature” end up aging. We all age every day. When you are very young, you look forward to it. Think of that little kid holding up the number of fingers that count his age. They are so proud to hold up those little fingers that demonstrate the finger owner’s facility both with numbers as well as dexterity: “I’m this many!”

But as things progress in life, it starts to get a little achey. Yesterday, I was at the airport and I saw the bus that takes people from the parking lot to the terminal parked and loading. I didn’t want to wait for the next one and I was feeling a little spry, so I ran for it. Yes, I ran! Not far, but by God it was an official gallop. I was so proud for running those 20 yards or so. 20 yards. I am pathetic. Proud, but pathetic.

My job as a Flight Attendant is rather physical. First of all, there is the walking. If you’re not walking to and from your car, you’re walking to a gate. And then to another gate. And then you’re walking up and down a long aisle and sometimes two long aisles on the aircraft. And when you’re walking on said aircraft, the floor under your feet is moving. It doesn’t feel like 500 miles-per-hour, but that’s pretty much the clip. I used to think turbulence was fun. That was until I got my can knocked around the back of a galley that slammed me into a few ovens, the fuselage and then bounced me onto the floor a couple of times. Any more of that later on in life and I’m just begging for a broken bone.

And of course working in the galley, I’m lifting, pushing, shoving, moving stuff to get to stuff, shifting stuff around, rolling carts and reaching for stuff. I smash ice and I stretch to reach stuff that is stored in lockers way over my head. It is an aerobic exercise all its own. When I return from a trip, I’m beat.

And that’s just my job. When I get home, I have the Greys’ cages to clean, the floor to sweep, the area rugs to vacuum and of course there is the perpetual floor mopping. I live in a condo so the washer and dryers are eight condos down the catwalk, so that is three round trips for each load of laundry I do. Suffice it to say, I don’t exactly lead a sedentary life.

Fetching Parker off of the floor eight or nine times and putting him back on his play stand every morning is an uplifting experience as I am getting up off of the couch to either put him back on his play stand, or out on the screened-in front porch to count cars and argue with the neighbors.

So how can you make this easier when you have parrots? I did a few things that tend to ease the difficulties of aging and I am searching for more.

Visual Cues Work Well

As I have aged so have my birds. Pepper is about 26 and had a problem a while back with seizures. She was put on a medication she needs three times a day that is squirted into her mouth via a syringe with no needle. One day tends to blend into the next. I have a friend that comes over on the days I fly to care for my Greys. We had to come up with a system to indicate when Pepper has gotten her meds. We use three syringes and two small cups on the kitchen window sill.

Repetition tends to make you forget where you are at when you have to do things day after day at the same time in the same way. So this system helps me stay on track.

I get up early and give her her meds and put syringe #1 into the second cup and take off for work. Bill comes in to feed them after I have left and sees the first syringe in the second cup, so he knows I haven’t forgotten to give her the medication. I come home from work. I see 2 syringes in the cup so I know Bill has given her her afternoon meds. In the evening I give the third dose and move all three syringes back to the first cup to begin the next day. No guesswork and we both know where we are at with Pepper’s meds.

Is my home immaculately clean? No. Is it ready for a feature story on “Hoarders?” Not by a long shot. I used to be fanatical about keeping things orderly. I grew strawberries and basil on my front porch. My spices were alphabetized. When I had carpeting, I used to rent a steamer every few months and steam clean it. This was “Pre-Parker.”

Now I am happy when the cage substrates are changed, I have vacuumed and I have gotten the floor to look a little less like a brown dog with white spots.

I’ve become “reasonable.” When I drastically cut back my work schedule, things got easier. I do my laundry on a more regular basis so I’m not doing three or four loads all at once. I cut the chores in increments and take breaks. I have figured out ways to get low to clean and not have it be an exercise in, “Oh my God, that hurt!” It’s called a stool.

I’ll have more on this in the future. In the meantime, I have to vacuum using my new vacuum cleaner that will suck the chrome off of a trailer hitch.

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Patricia Sund

Patricia Sund is a Free-Lance Writer residing in Florida with her three African Greys. She has been published in About.com, Bird Talk Magazine, Birds USA, In Your Flock Magazine, Good Bird Magazine as well as numerous websites and newsletters. She is currently doing research for a book titled "Parrot Nation".

9 thoughts on “Aging Is a Contact Sport”

Patricia, I totally get it! Especially after getting my whole lumbar spine fused! I want to know what vacuum you bought that will pull the chrome off a trailer hitch.
I could no longer push the Dyson upright I had with ease, so I sold it on Facebook and bought a Dyson canister and I LOVE it. But nothing picks up chewed wood and whole pellets off the floor like a Shop Vac with the big hose. Never clogs. Oh you are so right about all of it! XO!!

We can fight aging, or at least age more gracefully. I just started ghrp6 and B12 injections. I’m not selling it or promoting anything, Just started it. Commonly available from anti-aging salons or doctors. It may help you keep your edge for longer.

At the risk of TMI, old age began for me on my 55th birthday. The day of to be precise. That day my “healthy as a horse” husband had a mild stroke, which was quickly diagnosed as a brain tumor, which took him from me two months later. Old age sucks.

I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine what you must be going through, but just the thought of it makes my stomach sink. I hope you will be able to give yourself time to grieve. I also hope you have a good support system to help. My friend Teresa lost here husband in his early fifties and she said that she went to grief counseling and that it helped a lot. I wish you the best.

I also was so “CLEAN” and had to be. I would bark orders to my kids and wanted it done Now!! I am 46 and my kids are all adults now. I am still clean but I have cut back a lot. I’ve learned to take it day by day and its “O.K.” if the sink has some dishes in it or the floors have debris and need to be swept! I work full-time and I am tired. Cutting back has me less stressed. I feel more at ease and I am liking it. Please someone give me advice to clean my hardwood floors!lol My whole house is hardwood floors and it is a nightmare! I want something fast and not back breaking. I also have had back surgery with two herniated discs. Is that possible??!!

I am 35 and am starting to feel my age. Probably unlike you though I do have a bit of a belly bloat that was never there before. And I’m having a hard time getting rid of it. I find your writing inspiring and interesting to see what it is like in the life of a flight attendant. Sounds exciting and busy, always keeping you on your feet. I just started a simple blog about non-smoking and vaping it’s a project for school but I would love it if you would give it a look and check it out at sonomacountyvaping.wordpress.com. Thank you so much for your inspiration.